High School Baseball Roundup : Grossmont’s Lennon Close to No-Hitter

Earlier this season, Grossmont High’s Danny Lennon pitched 5 1/3 innings of no-hit ball before allowing a home run to Helix’s Rich Haar. Lennon then was replaced by Mark Gapski, and the two combined for a one-hit victory over the Highlanders, the defending 3-A champions.

Wednesday at Grossmont, Lennon was one inning and a few hundred feet better, allowing just an infield single to Santana’s Drake Welch with one out in the sixth. Gapski pitched the seventh, and the two combined for a one-hitter against the Sultans, last year’s 3-A runner-up.

The 9-0 victory over Santana improved Grossmont to 11-6-1, 2-1 in the Grossmont 2-A League. Santana fell to 9-7-1, 1-2.

“No-hitters are a lot of luck,” said Lennon, a junior right-hander. And he just missed being lucky.

With one out in the sixth, Welch hit a high bouncer over the mound that second baseman Steve Moyer tried to field bare handed. It was a valiant but unsuccessful effort.

Unlike Haar, who left no doubt when he homered to break up Lennon’s no-hitter earlier in the year, there was some question as to whether this would be ruled a hit. But Lennon knew.

“As soon as I saw it bounce over the mound, I knew it was a hit,” Lennon said.

The irony is Welch is a good friend. “I played with him all through Little League,” Lennon said. “After the game, he said, ‘I’m sorry.’ ”

Lennon (3-2) cruised through the first five innings, allowing only two fly balls (both by Kyle Sebach) to reach the outfield. The first four batters he faced (and five of the first seven) grounded to third. He ended up striking out six, although he walked five and hit a batter.

Grossmont got all the runs it would need in the first inning. With no outs, Greg Layson, Lenny Van Every and Todd Cady singled to score one run. After Smith’s grounder to short scored another, John Eichhorst hit his fourth home run of the year, a two-run shot to left center.

The Foothillers scored four more in the second on one hit, and Eichhorst hit a run-scoring triple to center in the fourth, giving him 16 RBIs.

--JIM LINDGREN

In another Grossmont 2-A League game:

Valhalla 5, El Cajon Valley 4--Tony Clark went two for three with a three-run homer, his eighth, to lead the host Norsemen (10-9-1, 3-0). Clark (4-1) also struck out 11. Valhalla’s Otavio Carrillo went two for four, including a bases-empty home run, and teammate Stacy Hamm was three for three with two doubles and two stolen bases.

Grossmont 3-A League

Helix 7, Granite Hills 6--The No. 6 Highlanders (15-4, 4-0) scored four runs in the sixth, two on a bases-loaded single by Erik West. Rob Ippolito (6-1) went the distance. Brian Giles had his eighth home run for Granite Hills (12-7, 2-2).

El Capitan 1, Monte Vista 0--Jim Marchesi (3-3) pitched a three-hitter against Monte Vista (12-5-2, 1-3). Sid Melero singled home Dan Freeman with the only run in the fifth for El Capitan (13-5, 3-1).

City Eastern League

Mira Mesa 14, Serra 2--Freshman Brendan Hause was four for four with four RBIs, including a two-run homer in the sixth, for No. 3 Mira Mesa (17-2, 9-0) at home.

Patrick Henry 5, Madison 2--Billy Hyde went the distance for the victory. Shannon Web was three for three, and Brian Simmons had a pair of two-run doubles for Patrick Henry (13-9, 6-3).

Morse 8, Point Loma 1--Chris Nelson threw a six-hitter and struck out four while walking three for Morse (9-12, 3-6). Dave Grigsby went three for four with two RBIs, and Steve Smith had three doubles with two RBI and three runs scored.

City Central League

Crawford 17, San Diego 2--Crawford scored 10 runs in the first, only one earned, as the No. 5 Colts (17-3, 9-0) routed San Diego. Crawford has 53 runs in the past three games. Eric Turner was three for four and scored four runs, and Mannie Gagliano was three for four with three RBIs. A.J. Leighton (6-2) got the victory.

Hoover 11, Lincoln 10--Tyrone Upton had a pair of three-run homers to give him eight for the season to lead Hoover (10-8-1, 5-3) at home. D.C. Jacobs added a home run for Hoover, and Monte Smith hit a two-run homer for Lincoln (3-13, 1-7).

City Western League

Mission Bay 3, University City 1--Tony Lennan struck out eight and walked one to lead No. 4 Mission Bay (16-3, 7-1) at home. Mike McKesson’s RBI single in the fifth was the game-winner.

USDHS 11, Kearny 1--David Sanchez went three for five, scored once and drove in a run to lead the 10th-ranked Dons (15-3, 7-1) at home. Kearny is 4-15, 2-6.

Clairemont 4, La Jolla 3--Jesus Jauregui and Antione Henry hit bases-empty home runs for the Chieftains (5-4, 9-10) at home.